Veteran Lindsay Dey will be using tomorrow's Otago duathlon championships as a practice run for the world masters championships in Edinburgh in September.
It will be the fourth time Dunedin accountant Dey (62) has contested the world championships.
He was 18th in Belgium in 2003, 19th in Australia in 2005 and 12th in Italy in 2008.
At the world championships Dey will compete in the masters aged over 60 grade but he does not have that luxury tomorrow, where there is just one open masters grade, over the age of 40.
He will be competing against relative youngsters Murray Gray and Paul Gough in the standard distance of a 10km run, 40km cycle and 5km run.
They are 20 years younger than Dey.
Dey has been competing in national athletics events since 1966 but a New Zealand title eluded him until he won the masters aged 60-64 duathlon title in Auckland in 1hr 55min 43sec two years ago.
His best performance at a national championships came in 1971, when he won a silver medal in the senior men's 5000m at the track and field championships in Inglewood.
His only other medals at national championships have come in the duathlon, where he has claimed a silver and a bronze medal.
Tim Rush (Oamaru) is the favourite in the senior men's grade after consistent performances this winter.
His main challenge will come from Jason Palmer (Dunedin).
International triathlete Marion Maxwell is the favourite for the women's aged over 40 masters grade while Victoria Beck, ranked 23rd in the world, will be untouchable in the senior women's race.
The main contenders in the junior women's race are Amelia Kinnaird and Mary Gray.
Entries are taken on the morning of the race and about 60 athletes are expected to compete in the individual and team events.
The event starts at 11am, at Dukes Rd.
